Ridden with inaccuracies, half truths, and plain old news.
Posts tagged car hire
How the Recession Has Changed Our Driving Habits
Oct 28th
Running a car can be quite a drain on your finances. As well as road tax, petrol and a yearly m.o.t there are always the unexpected costs that appear at inopportune moments. I drove off from the petrol station last month wondering what was making a noise on the roof of the car, it turned out to be the petrol cap which was surprisingly expensive to replace.
A recent survey has shown that 61% of car owners in Britain have changed their driving habits in order to save money. Whilst we love having our own cars many are deciding to cut down on journeys and a third of those asked had started car sharing. 95% said that they would walk more if they gave up their cars although that seems like a strange question to me, who are the 5% who wouldn’t walk any more without a car?
The rise in car hire by the hour schemes has meant that some have chosen to not own a car but to lease one when needed. This option is best suited to those in cities who can rely on public transport day-to-day, in rural areas not having a car can leave people reliant on sparse bus services. Car sharing is also a good way of keeping down costs as well as reducing pollution.
The average driver in Britain spends around £106 per month keeping their car running, this is a little less than the European average of £126. This figure is sure to rise as petrol prices increase and local governments try to dissuade people from using their cars by increasing tolls and parking costs.
Tips To Avoid Hire Car Disputes
Sep 14th
No news is good news or to put it another way: good news is not news. Millions of people hire cars without any problem but car rental companies only seem to make the news when there is some kind of dispute. Still disputes do happen so here are some tips on how to avoid them.
1. Make sure everything is organized well in advance. Ring the car rental company before you travel and make sure they are expecting you. If the booking is not longer in their system it is better to know before you arrive.
2. Take photos. Many people do this when renting property and it is worth doing with car and van rental also. Make a note and keep a record of any damage before you leave as well as pointing it out to the person handing over the keys. This prevents any misunderstandings about who caused the damage.
3. Check the cost of extras. To avoid being surprised by hidden extras make sure everything is agreed in advance.
4. If you need to refill the car don’t wait until the last petrol station before the airport. Stopping further afield is often cheaper if not so convenient. Don’t stop to fill up on the motorway as these petrol stations tend to be the most expensive. Don’t leave it up to the car rental company to fill up, this is likely to be the most expensive option.
Car Hire and Petrol Prices Falling in Europe
Jul 8th
It’s not very often that you hear good news about fuel prices. The normal trend seems to be price rises even when the oil price goes down. This makes sense I suppose, why pass on the saving to the consumer if they are going to buy fuel anyway? Anyway, back to the good news before this deteriorates into a rant…
Fuel costs in mainland Europe are apparently 12% less this year than last and the cost of hiring a car is also falling. This is good news for tourists looking to keep costs down this summer particularly those visiting Switzerland where unleaded petrol is currently at 91p per litre. Everything else in Switzerland is massively over priced (over £4 for a Cappuccino?!) so if you’re not paid Swiss wages you might want to keep on driving.
The cost of renting a car has also fallen across the continent with Portugal seeing a 21% drop in price and french car hire also coming down in price. One place where driving costs are increasing is Florida where ‘gas’ prices and the week pound are affecting British holidaymakers. I would be surprised if it was anymore expensive than driving here though as petrol prices in the US are still much lower than in the UK.
“This year’s report shows more evidence of price cutting activity to boost tourism in popular European summer holiday resorts. The huge drop in costs in both Portugal and Greece is great news for UK tourists and is another factor that should be taken into consideration when choosing a holiday this year.”
Sarah Munro, Post Office head of travel
Car Hire Discount Codes for Summer – ending soon.
Jun 22nd
Just a quick heads-up for those looking to make their summer holidays a little cheaper (aren’t we all?) Here are some summer car hire discount codes for easyCar. Enter these codes at www.easycar.com for up to 15% discount on summer car hire. I think this covers all areas but I have only checked car hire from Aberdeen airport and car hire at Heathrow airport so far. This discount depends on the month – the earlier you book the cheaper it is. Codes are entered in the ‘get a quote’ section of the site. These end at midnight tomorrow (22/06) so you will have to be quick!
5% off all cars in July – promo code HOT
up to 10% off in August – promo code HOTTER
up to 15% off in September – promo code SCORCHIO
easy tiger!
Are Car Clubs And Car Hire Better Than Owning A Car?
Feb 24th
Last week I wrote about the emerging trend of hiring a car rather than owning one. The idea being that if you just rent a car when you need one (which might be less often than you think) it will work out cheaper and better for the environment in the long run.
Apparently this idea is taking off and a recent Guardian article I just found has some stats to back it up. The average family spends over £2500 on their car each year including insurance, upkeep and fuel. The AA has predicted a rise in insurance premiums this year so that figure may rise. Another estimate puts the average annual spend at £2749 compared to around £700 to join a car club or use a normal car hire company such as easyCar.
Car clubs are mostly popular with those who only use their car occasional such as those who live in the city and commute by train, bike or on foot. The ecologically conscious are also turning to car hire as a way to reduce their carbon footprints. While they are still using a car, they only do so when necessary.
There are other benefits to choosing car rental over owning a car as well. If you drive to the airport when going on holiday there are parking cost to be considered. Use airport car hire and you don’t have to worry about that, you can even use a different drop off point for one-way trips.
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